Sunrise, Fla: Leonardo Mayer defeated Bar Botzer 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 Friday to give Argentina a 1-0 lead over Israel in the Davis Cup World Group playoff.
The 26th-ranked Mayer broke Botzer's serve to start the match. In the second set, Botzer trailed 3-2 when he broke Mayer's serve. Mayer double-faulted in the game's decisive point.
Mayer took 5-0 leads in the third and fourth sets against Botzer, who was making his Davis Cup debut.
The event was originally a home match for Israel in Tel Aviv. But because of safety concerns, the International Tennis Federation moved it to Florida.
Scoring updates on the loudspeaker were given in Hebrew and English. The cheering sections were split evenly, with both groups wearing the blue and white of their nation's flags.
"I had never heard of him, but he played well," Mayer said of his 776th-ranked opponent. "He played better than his ranking."
Despite the loss, Botzer was upbeat, saying he enjoyed the singing by the Argentina fans.
"I had the time of my life," Botzer said. "I wasn't afraid. I wasn't nervous except maybe the first game. It was my first time playing someone in the top 200, (let alone) top 30. I think I played a pretty decent match."
